Dragon fruit farmers in Binh Thuan, Long An, and Tien Giang are struggling as nearly 90 percent of their plants have been affected by white spot disease.
Last update 11:46 | 15/08/2014 0
Pitaya prices fall as quality declines
VietNamNet Bridge - Many exporters do not have enough dragonfruit to sell as the fruit grown in the central province of Binh Thuan is being sold for low prices because of its poor quality.
Dragonfruit is sold for VND3,000 ($0.15) per kilo on the sidewalk in Saigon.
HCM City-based Hugo Company, a veteran dragonfruit exporter to the United States, could not purchase a single kilo of quality dragonfruit for export last month.
Picky markets such as America and Japan have high demand for quality dragonfruit from Vietnam.
China, the largest importer of Vietnamese dragonfruit, however, has said mealy-bugs have been found on Vietnamese dragonfruit.
The firm’s director, Vuong Dinh Khoat, said the demand from the American market is around 60-80 tons per month, but last month Hugo did not export any dragonfruit because he could not buy quality fruit.
Only a handful of dragonfruit orchards are eligible to export to the United States.
The Tam Vu dragon cooperative in Chau Thanh district in the Mekong Delta province of Long An still has quality dragonfruit for export but its head Truong Quang An says that the volume is small and unstable. During the harvest season, the cooperative bought 40-50 tons/day but sometimes it can purchase only several tons a day.
"This year diseases are rampant, so only about 30 percent of our output is eligible for export. Thus we have to cancel a lot of orders," An says.
Similarly, HCM City-based Hong An Import and Export Co., Ltd. also had to cancel many dragonfruit export orders to an Asian country due to lack of quality fruits, although they signed contracts at very high prices.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Dat, Director of the Quarantine Center of Imported Vegetation, says that all companies exporting dragonfruit to picky markets like the US and Japan lack sources of supply. They have to frequently increase the purchase price.
Poor harvest season
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